11.28.2014

The hardest part about writing is…I think when it comes to writing you have to completely give yourself to your writing, hold nothing back whatsoever. You have to really pour your heart and soul into what you are writing because it really resonates and empowers your words. I am by nature a very secretive person. I’m not entirely sure why, I guess I am the opposite of people who like the center of attention – I hate being the center of attention. Sometimes I can’t always express myself as well as I’d like and because of this I imagine that many people around me don’t know me quite as well they’d imagine. I bear everything in my writing, my heart and soul. My dreams, aspirations, fears, doubts, it is the most honest expression of who I am. Sure I’ve never lived on a floating city in the sky, but I have felt loss. I have felt pain, I have wanted something so badly that it would tear me down every time I couldn’t get it. There’s a saying in boxing “Leave it all in the ring” as in when you are there give it a 100%, hold nothing back. This is how I approach writing, I throw all of who I am into the words, give myself completely. And I think that is the hardest part for me. Knowing that all my innermost feelings are now out there for anyone to read, and maybe even judge. But for me, this is the only way to write. With heart.

BLURB:

In a world where cities float, airships sail the skies and mythical creatures are summoned in a pinch, Celes Vale is distinctly average. Living in the shadow of his talented cousin and his powerful aunt and uncle, Celes is resigned to a future of soot, factories and well, more soot.

But on the night of his twelfth birthday everything changes. A blinding light, a whispered voice and in an instant Celes becomes the first ordinary child in history to develop magic, sending him on a fast-track ticket to the greatest of the floating cities, Gardarel. Boasting grand, elegant buildings wrought from shimmering white stone, the entire city appears as though it has been built from light, and so it has come to be called the Kingdom Lights.

Though some welcome Celes, others want the dirt-ridden up-start off their city preferably head first. Nowhere is this clearer than in the attitude and actions of the beautiful and haughty Lady Ban and her sneering nephew, Marcus Blackwood. But Blackwood, with his gang of goons and unimaginative one-liners, is soon the least of Celes s problems.
With a little magic and a lot of detective work, Celes and his group of Scurriers and Wisps unravel the dark truth behind Lady Ban s prim, perfect smile an alliance to the villainous Wardens and the masked man who leads them. However, in his attempt to expose Lady Ban, Celes unwittingly stumbles onto an even darker conspiracy a plan that could lead to the complete destruction of Gardarel itself.

EXCERPT:

Light. Beautiful, pulsing, bathing him in its emerald glow…his eyes were peering open now, his mind fumbling for thoughts and memories, a taste like metal upon his tongue.

“Are you hurt?” said a voice, faint, distant. “I didn’t want to hurt you, but I didn’t have a choice.”

“Choice?” the boy croaked. He tried to reach up, but his hands had been bound, thick ropes cutting into soft flesh. I’m back in the Gravity Rooms, he realized, though the chamber itself had been transformed entirely. The emerald light now dripped with the crimson of hundreds of Flare Crystals, as though an angry swarm had surged forth against a far larger beast.

“I know why you’re here, but I...you can’t stop this.” As his eyes began to focus, Celes saw the Warden standing before him, draped in a white cloak, his iron mask half-hidden beneath his hood. It was strange, so strange to find the spectre amongst shadows for once illuminated.

“You can’t,” said Celes his lips cracked, his thoughts dizzy. What’s…my head, I can’t think… “You can’t destroy Gardarel. Please. I know you’re working for Lady Ban. You don’t…you don’t have to do this!”

The Warden took a knee before him. “I do,” came the whispered reply, soft and sad. “They made their choice; and I, mine.”

A resident of the sleepy coastal town of Bexhill, East Sussex, England. Steven graduated in the summer of 2013 from the University of Southampton with a Bachelor of Medicine Degree and a Master’s Degree in Global Health from Sussex University – where he spent the majority of his time in Shawcross writing this novel!

In between writing and dreaming Steven is a medical doctor and has worked at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and the Princess Royal where he fights the system with quirky lanyards.

11.27.2014

To my American readers, sending you warm wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving! To all of my readers, please know I am very thankful to have your following and readership.

I decided to start my weekend reading today because to be honest, I could use a day off of blogging madness. The past two months have been insane both behind-the-scenes blogging and in my private life. Plus, I'm going to be starting a new job as an author assistant on Monday and I need a little calm before the storm. Yeah, I just announced that all sneaky like... more details will come if and when my new boss and I are ready to share our partnership. ☺

This weekend I'm going to be finally starting PRINCESS OF THORNS by Stacey Jay! I've been dying to read it but didn't want to start it too soon before the release day. Because I gotta admit, sometimes I forget details after reading a book if I read it months before a release. But dude, a book that's billed as Game of Thrones meets Sleeping Beauty from my favorite author? It has to be good. I loved her last fairytale retelling, OF BEAST AND BEAUTY, so much I ordered a signed hardcover.

If you know of any other awesome holiday themed novellas or boxed sets let me know in the comments because I'm doing a TON of giveaways next month and am still looking for some good picks to treat my readers to.

And on that note dear readers I best run off and get a shower, do some dishes, and maybe even put some makeup on. I'm not in charge of dinner this year so I'll be taking it a little easy until them dishes need doing. Have a great weekend! -- Rhi

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn commenter will run a $25 Amazon/BN gift card via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Kayli Winchester is a dirt-poor girl living out of a hotel, forced to be the parent for a drunken father and teenage brother who she’s desperate to keep in school. The only way she scrapes by is to utilize her one skill: pickpocketing. But even though she’s a thief she has a moral code: no kids or old ladies, only targets who can defend themselves. Not that they see her coming…

Thinking she’s been working under the radar, Kayli has no idea The Academy has been watching and taking notice. Now a team that needs her skill has offered her a way out of her predicament and it’s her last chance: work with them, or face jail time. Kayli resists at first, but slowly the boys reveal they can be trusted. With Marc, the straight man, Raven, the bad-boy Russian, Corey and Brandon the twins as different as night and day, and Axel their stoic leader, there’s a lot Kayli can learn from these Academy guys about living on the edge of the law. If only she can stay on the good side instead of the bad.

Especially when the job they offer her is more than any of them bargained for. After it’s done, the hunters have become the hunted and their target is now after Kayli. The Academy boys do their best to keep her hidden, but a thief like Kayli will never sit still for long.

Meet an all-new Academy team in Thief, the beginning of the Scarab Beetle series.

Enjoy an excerpt:

“I don’t know what you want me to do,” I said, but my voice was nearly gone, thick with the fear that he was way too close and seemed to think he knew what I wanted. I didn’t want him to know he was right. I don’t know why. My pride was too strong. I’d been this way for so long, I didn’t know how to give in. I didn’t know how to trust.He opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something else but stopped, and his eyes drifted down to my mouth and held. My breath caught in my throat.Before I could think to even push him off, his mouth claimed me. He kissed me hard enough that my head pressed back into the wall. His hands slid back to cup around my jaw to keep me from pulling away. His lips pressed down, mouth parted.I kissed him back. I don’t know what came over me, but I wanted to feel those promises. I wanted to believe, for the moment, that maybe I could just let go, like he said, and trust that I could be accepted for who I was. Was I just like him? Could I be like that? Could I find a place just for me among these guys and waltz in and be with them? I opened my mouth, inviting him in, just a little.Like opening the gates, his mouth claimed me again. In every possible place I could think to hide, he found me. My mind blanked out. I didn’t have room for anything else other than him and his kiss that told me everything would be all right. His kiss sank into me over and over again. Lips pressed against mine, tugging at my skin, at heart strings, at my core.When he finally released my mouth so I could breathe, his lips trailed over my face, across my eyes and my brows.“Why did it have to be you?” He breathed out as he whispered against my face. “I was hunting a thief, and I found a beautiful wreck.”

About the Author: C. L. Stone once lived in Charleston, SC, and currently lives among Cajuns. She writes about cute boys and uncomfortable situations, usually mixed together. You can email her at clstone@arcatopublishing.com. Sign up for email updates, get exclusive info on upcoming release dates, get notified when freebies are offered, and sometimes sneak peeks!

DIAMONDS AND DUST by Jessie Evans released yesterday - if you're in need of a swoonworthy cowboy (and who isn't?), you've got to meet Pike! Check out this excerpt below!

About DIAMONDS AND DUST

Pike Sherman is a legend in Lonesome Point, a
hometown boy who made it to the big leagues. Literally. Professional baseball
acquired one hell of a pitching arm and its latest celebrity bad boy when the
gifted Pike was drafted seven years ago. Pike’s broken heart came along for the
ride, too, but he kept that private, and since leaving Lonesome Point has kept
his distance from his hometown. But when Pike’s little sister, Mia, begs him to
be the Dude of Honor at her wedding, he can’t refuse. He takes advantage of a
break in the season and returns home to find himself thrown together with the
one woman he never wanted to see again.

Tulsi Hearst is on the verge of losing her
Equine Therapy business, and letting down all the kids she’s come to love.
After a mix-up with the grant board, she needs to concentrate on finding more
funding, not dealing with Pike Sherman, the boy she sacrificed so much for, and
the one person she’s ever lied to. And what a lie it is… Pike would hate her if
he found out. She knows she should stay far away from the brooding man her
summer love has become, but Tulsi can’t resist a slow dance with the only boy
who ever made her blood rush.

After just a few days back in Lonesome Point,
Pike can’t imagine life without the girl he left behind, but when Tulsi’s
secret is revealed, his heart is broken all over again. The only thing worse
than losing Tulsi, is losing six years with the daughter he didn’t know he
had.

Excerpt

Under normal circumstances, Tulsi would have still been reeling from the nightmarish meeting with Chad. But with Pike’s arm around her, gluing her to his muscled body as he practically carried her across the street, all she could think about was how incredible it felt to be close to him. It was almost too much to wrap her head around.

Pike was touching her, holding her. Her body was pressed tight to his for the first time since he’d kissed her behind the barn at his parents’ house seven years ago, the afternoon everything had gone to hell, and her body was on the verge of a spontaneous meltdown. She tried to tell herself this didn’t mean anything and Pike would have responded the same way if it had been any of Mia’s friends being harassed by a creep. But she’d never heard him sound so angry and the possessive way he’d swept her out of the office had her stomach fluttering and her body aching to get even closer to him.

About Jessie Evans

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Jessie Evans, gave up a career as an international woman of mystery to write the sexy, contemporary Southern romances she loves to read.

She's married to the man of her dreams, and together they're raising a few adorable, mischievous children in a cottage in the jungle. She grew up in rural Arkansas, spending summers running wild, being chewed by chiggers, and now appreciates her home in a chigger-free part of the world even more.

When she's not writing, Jessie enjoys playing her dulcimer (badly), sewing the worlds ugliest quilts to give to her friends, going for bike rides with her house full of boys, and drifting in and out on the waves, feeling thankful for sun, surf, and lovely people to share them with.

This post is part of a cover reveal for the re-release of Christine Manzari's DEVIATION. One randomly drawn winner will be awarded a $25 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Being a Sophisticate of the Program seems like it’d be a pretty sweet deal: a little genetic alteration and anyone can be smarter, faster, and stronger. It’s a dream come true. All you have to give up is your freedom.

Cleo is a Sophisticate and she has a bright future in the Program. But she has a secret. When she gets upset, bad things happen. Explosive things. Things she can’t control.

When her secret is discovered, she’s sent to the Academy to train in the military branch of the Program. She’s destined to be a human weapon in the war that’s been going on since Wormwood occurred nearly 30 years ago. She soon learns that although her ability is unique, there are others like her — other Sophisticates with lethal skills and odd code names like Archerfish and Mimic Octopus.

Immersed in a dangerous game of supernatural powers and dubious motives, Cleo doesn’t know who to trust. Ozzy, the annoyingly attractive cadet who has perfect aim in weapons class and deviant lips behind closed doors, begs her not to use her powers. He’s the golden boy of the Program, but can she trust him? Or will she find herself a target, caught in his crosshairs?

I turned to find the dark haired boy still leaning against the wall. The top button of his shirt was undone and his tie was slung over his shoulder. He wasn’t wearing his jacket and his shirt sleeves were rolled up, revealing his tan, muscular forearms. His tousled hair hung across his forehead, nearly falling into his eyes, and it appeared he hadn’t bothered to shave this morning.

“You’re late, too,” I pointed out. I also wanted to point out that his uniform was far from uniform or acceptable according to St. Ignatius policy.

The boy shook his head and then ran his hand back through his messy curls, trying to tame them into submission. “Not late. Sick.”

“Sorry to hear that,” I said, because I couldn’t think of any better response. It was obvious the boy wasn’t sick, he was skipping class. “Look, I really have to go. It was nice meeting you.”

“But we haven’t met,” he responded.

“What?” I asked, confused.

“We haven’t actually met yet,” he explained, pushing away from the wall. “Name’s Ozzy,” he said, holding out his hand.

I looked at his hand. “Is it contagious?”

He tilted his head causing the unruly curls to tumble back across his forehead. “I don’t follow.”

“Your sickness, I don’t want to catch anything.”

“Right,” he said, a wide grin dimpling across his face as he pulled his hand back and returned it to his pocket. “Well then, I should let you get to class I suppose.” He turned and walked down the hallway, the opposite direction from my classroom. “It was nice meeting you, Clementine,” he called back over his shoulder.

“I never told you my name,” I said calmly, even though I was a little unnerved that he knew my name.

“You didn’t have to.”

“Apparently, I do,” I retorted. “I don’t answer to Clementine.”

Ozzy chuckled without turning around. “See you around, Cleo.”

About the Author:

The first thing Christine does when she's getting ready to read a book is to crack the spine in at least five places. She wholeheartedly believes there is no place as comfy as the pages of a well-worn book. She's addicted to buying books, reading books, and writing books. Books, books, books. She also has a weakness for adventure, inappropriate humor, and coke (the caffeine-laden bubbly kind). Christine is from Forest Hill, Maryland where she lives with her husband, three kids, and her library of ugly spine books.

Covert op partners Astrid Scarre and Kane Langford click on a level that defies logic. Astrid wants to say yes to the sexy Kane. But the guy who stole her heart and then shattered her soul twelve years ago shows up. Seeing the Dragon magus, Zannis, again ignites a wild physical attraction, but doesn’t eliminate her simmering hatred. Astrid is torn between her physical need for Zannis and her emotional connection to Kane.

Kane will never turn his back on Astrid, even when she gets inducted into the Scimitar magi, an organization he knows well and respects. His gorgeous ex-spy partner might push him away at every turn, but that’s too bad. He’s exactly the man she needs to protect her life and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this right, you don’t let it go.

Kane stared wide-eyed, giving her a head to leg once-over, not once but twice. His right fist massaged his five o’clock shadowed chin, and then combed through his spiky blond hair. He remained mute with a dumbstruck expression. Finally, he choked out, “Whaa...”

She suppressed a smile. A feminine thrill hit her stomach. She could count on one hand the number of times a hot, ex-Ranger, super spy found her brain- stuttering attractive. Once.

Right now.

She and Kane had danced the edge of get-it-on or keep-it-professional for several years, ever since a post- mission alcohol overindulgence led to an unforgettable kiss. She had slammed on the brakes, terrified of ruining their working relationship. She’d murmured to him, This is crazy. He’d whispered, I know what I want. And I want you. The thump-thump those words ignited in her previously deadened heart escalated terror into panic. She’d been running ever since.

Zoe Forward Bio:

Zoe Forward is a hopeless romantic who can't decide between paranormal and urban fantasy romance. So she writes both. In addition to being a mom to one rambunctious kindergartener and wife to a conservation ecologist who plans to save all the big cats on the planet, she’s a small animal veterinarian caring for all the small furries, although there is the occasional hermit crab.

When she’s not typing at her laptop, she’s tying on a karate belt for her son or cleaning up the newest pet mess from the menagerie that occupies her house. She’s madly in love with her globe trotting husband of ten years and happiest when he returns to their home base in North Carolina.

Buy it NOW

Destined by Brenda K. Davies

Terrified of becoming mated like her parents, Isabelle has locked herself away in order to avoid their fate. She is content to stay sheltered amongst her family, hidden away as she lives out her days away from the human race, and the world. Despite her determination to remain alone, her world is rocked when a person from her parent’s past arrives at their door, bringing with them the powerful, and stunning vampire Stefan. Though Stefan is not expecting to arrive at a nest full of vampires, he is immediately drawn to the vibrant, often defiant, and willful Isabelle. To his surprise, Isabelle does everything in her power to avoid him, and her desire for him. No matter how hard she tries to fight it though, Isabelle begins to realize that trying to deny her destiny may just destroy them both, as there are some things that cannot be stopped. But just as she begins to let her guard down, Stefan’s dark and deadly past catches up to him and threatens to destroy them both.

Meet the Author

Author of the adult paranormal romance, Vampire Awakenings Series, and historical romances. I also write young adult under the pen name Erica Stevens.

The Protectors Damon by Teresa Gableman

Damon DeMasters is a vampire warrior who has taken an oath to not only protect his own kind, but humans as well. Crimson Rush is the new drug on the streets and it’s their duty to find who is behind the selling of vampire blood and stop it.
As a social worker, Nicole Callahan fights for the right of every child placed in her care. There’s a war now as vampires have stepped out into the spotlight taking their place in society and the children are at the heart of it all.
Damon and his fellow warriors have been ordered by the Vampire Council to train Nicole and her colleagues against the dangers they now face in their new world. Even as sparks fly and tensions mount, Nicole and Damon depend on each other to protect the children of both races.

Meet the Author

Teresa lives in Ohio with her husband, son, their dog Cin and her son's snake, Steve Irwin. She is a third degree black belt in Taekwondo, is a huge Mixed Martial Arts fan and follows her husbands MMA fight team, G-Force, which her son fights for. When not writing she is either screaming like a crazy woman at MMA fights or reading in some quiet corner with her Kindle. She loves books that are fast reads filled with romance, humor, sexy alpha men and the women who drive them crazy.

A Summoner's Tale by Victoria Danann

Named BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVEL of 2013, REVIEWERS' CHOICE AWARDS, the Paranormal Romance Guild.
While the devastatingly seductive ex-vampire, Istvan Baka, is forced to relive his tragic life as human and confront his past as vampire, a very pregnant Elora Laiken faces an ultimate test of survival when she's attacked by assassins from her dimension of origin. While their friends and mates mount respective searches and epic rescue efforts, these two friends and almost lovers, joined by a mystical bond, separated by distance, must simultaneously struggle alone through their own personal tortures in pain and darkness.
This is the story of Heaven McBride, a Black Swan demonologist who was temporarily assigned as Baka's assistant. When he turns up missing, Heaven agrees to submit to hypnosis to help the rescue effort with possible clues about his disappearance buried in her subconscious mind. During those sessions, she proves that love can wait patiently through lifetimes for the chance to blossom and be fulfilled. She also inadvertently reveals that she's been hiding a unique musical talent. She's the once-in-a- generation summoner, who can call any creature with her flute. Even vampires.

About the Author

My first book was published May of 2012.
I write cross-genre with uniquely fresh perspectives on paranormal creatures, characters, and themes. Add a dash of scifi and a flourish of fantasy to enough humor to make you laugh out loud and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. My heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, or past life therapists. My heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners - usually - whether they be elves, demons, berserkers, werewolves, or vampires.
My first book, My Familiar Stranger, was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance of 2012 by both Reviewers' Choice and Readers' Choice Awards. All of my books have opened on the Amazon Best Sellers list and earned Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK awards.
For books published in 2013, Black Swan won three awards. 1. Best Paranormal Romance Series 2. Best Paranormal Romance Novel - A SUMMONER'S TALE 3. Best Vampire~Shifter Novel - MOONLIGHT.

Author Bio

If you're interested in me personally, I am also a classically trained musician who defected to Classic Rock music. I'm the utility player which means I play rhythm guitar, keyboards, sing back ups and a few leads. My band has covered everything (note for note) from Styx to Led Zepellin to Rush. We have played biker bars at 3:00 am to 10 people and played Warrior Dash to 35,000.
I live in The Woodlands, Texas which is why I sometimes joke about being the witch in the woods. Married. Four children. One very smart, mostly black German Shepherd dog.

Luca's Magic Embrace (Immortals of New Orleans, Book 2)

An erotic paranormal romance...
Sexy vampire, Luca Macquarie doesn’t do love; especially not with humans. Yet, ever since he rescued Samantha Irving, he can’t deny the enigmatic attraction he’s developed for the alluring mortal woman. Concerned for her safety, he’s determined to bring Samantha back to her coven. His mission is to go find the novice witch and bring her home, nothing more, nothing less; falling for her is not supposed to be part of the plan.
Samantha doesn’t want to be a witch, yet that’s exactly what she is. After failing to elicit her magic, she escapes to the mountains in an attempt to resume a semblance of her previous human life. When an arsonist torches her cabin, Samantha’s worst fears are realized. Aware that her life is on the line, she reluctantly agrees to return to New Orleans with Luca.
In the Big Easy, Samantha and Luca embark on a spellbinding journey, searching for a mystical amulet that promises to release her obligation from an ancient, lethal vampire who’s been threatening her life. With cryptic clues and clandestine allies, will Luca and Samantha destroy the dangerous amulet before others acquire it, setting forth a chain of catastrophic consequences? And will Luca give into his erotic desire for the witch who magically captures heart?

About the Author

Kym Grosso is the award-winning author of the bestselling erotic paranormal romance series, The Immortals of New Orleans. In addition to romance, Kym has written and published several articles about autism, and is a contributing essay author in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum.
Kym lives with her husband, two children, dog and cat. Her hobbies include autism advocacy, reading, tennis, zumba, traveling and spending time with her husband and children. New Orleans, with its rich culture, history and unique cuisine, is one of her favorite places to visit. Also, she loves traveling just about anywhere that has a beach or snow- covered mountains. On any given night, when not writing her own books, Kym can be found reading her Kindle, which is filled with hundreds of romances.

DARKNESS SERIES, 1 & 2 - K.F. Breene

Sasha has always known she was different, but now she also knows that the shadow men she’s seen all her life, are real.
With a life goal of fitting in, Sasha hopes her strange abilities will finally make true friendship a possibility. Unfortunately, her magic doesn’t function like everyone else’s. What she thought would make her belong, sets her apart now more than ever.
Stefan, all but promised to a different woman, has tried to keep his mind on his duties instead of the irresistible and free-spirited human. But when she is threatened, he can’t keep his distance any longer. He realizes he’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe, and more importantly, make her his.
Just when one thing clicks into place, another spirals out of control. Stefan’s clan isn’t the only group that would benefit from an extremely rare type of magic. And their enemies will stop at nothing to get what they want.

About the Author

A wine country native, I moved to San Francisco for college just shy of a decade ago to pursue a lifelong interest in film. As I settled into the vibrant city, it quickly became apparent that, while I thought making and editing films was great fun, I lacked cinematic genius. For that reason, my career path quickly changed direction. My next goal was a strange childhood interest, conjured at the dining room table while filling out a form. For some reason, my young self wanted to be an Accountant. Thinking on it now, I wonder how I had any friends. Regardless, it was the direction I finally took.
While I could wrangle numbers with the best of 'em, and even though I wore the crown as the most outspoken, belligerent accountant in the world, my mind got as stuffy as my daily routine. It was here that I dusted off my creative hat and began writing.

Honeymoon Bites by Sharon Hamilton

Anne caught her husband cheating before their wedding cake was cut, so she takes her honeymoon in Tuscany alone. Bitten by a vampire on her wedding night, she is left for dead, until Marcus Monteleone, her 300 year old fated mate, rescues her. Will they be able to navigate Marcus’ rocky and dangerous past to have an immortal future together?

Midnight Captive by Arial Burnz

After seven years, James Knightly returns as a master swordsman, ready to captain a ship and wed his childhood sweetheart, Cailin MacDougal. Waiting for him is a dagger-toting hellion for a bride, an immortal father-in-law, and an enemy bent on threatening the family James holds most dear–the MacDougals. Broderick MacDougal is lured away from his family with the promise of a way to protect them from his clan enemy. Broderick unravels the beginning of a prophecy that will lead to redemption for all vampires. The cost, though, may be the very soul of the woman he would die for...his wife Davina.

About the Author

Arial Burnz has been an avid reader of paranormal and fantasy for over thirty years. With bedtime stories filled with unicorns, hobbits, dragons and elves, she succumbed to crafting her own tales, penning to life the magical creatures roaming her dreams. Having a romantic husband who's taught her the meaning of true love, she's helpless to weave romance into her tales. Now she shares them with the world. Arial Burnz lives in Rancho Cucamonga, California, with her husband (a.k.a. her romance novel hero)—who is also, quite coincidentally, a descendent of Clan MacDougal—along with their dog and two cats.

The Nightlife San Antonio by Travis Luedke

Vampires, Mafia & Mayhem: The Nightlife San Antonio is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.
All she wanted was to escape the police. All he wanted was to get laid. They both got more than they bargained for.
EMT on call, Adrian Faulkner resuscitates a beautiful woman after a Mexican mafia shootout. He can't explain why he picks her up in the hospital parking lot three days later and then ducks the San Antonio police and the Feds. Well, the hot sex might have something to do with it.
She needed to hide. With no memory of even her name, she didn't know from who. She only knew she wasn't safe.
Adrian soon learns she is much more than a damsel in distress, and he’s stuck with her. It isn't long before the past she cannot remember begins to catch up with them both...

About the Author

#NSFW author of the violently sexy NIGHTLIFE SERIES (Vampires, Escorts & Strippers). Has auditioned for Christian Grey in 50 Shades film. He is currently catching a 3rd degree sunburn in San Antonio, Texas, and loving every minute of it.
As the author of the Nightlife Series novels, Travis lives very vicariously through his writings. He invites you to enjoy his macabre flights of fancy, but be warned: The Nightlife Series is violent, sexy, and occasionally violently sexy.

Blood and Snow: volumes 1-8 by RaShelle Workman

Every thousand years the Vampire Queen selects a new body, always the fairest in the land, and this time she's chosen Snow White.
Snow isn't an ordinary girl. She doesn't know that yet.
When Snow gets bitten by a Hunter, her life is thrown into a whirlwind of change where instead of worrying about what to eat, she has to fight not to drink the blood of fellow high school students. She becomes a revenant - not quite human, not quite vampire.
With the help of an eccentric old Professor, his seven adoptive sons, and her best friend, Snow learns to control her blood craving. Sort of. She drinks a bloodlust tea, but she'd rather drink from her Hunter.
Or, a human.
She also discovers a whole other realm, one filled with fairies, dragons, and magic. And not only does the Vampire Queen want her, but there's a pendant called the Seal of Gabriel created for Snow by the Vampire Queen's twin sister.And Snow's supposed to use it to restore balance to all magical creatures. Including vampires.

About the Author

RaShelle Workman is the author of the popular Blood and Snow series. She loves to reinvent fairy tales teens and adults can sink their teeth into. Her stories include kissing, vampires, werewolves, witches, aliens, and more kissing. Her books: Sleeping Roses, Exiled, Beguiled, and Dovetailed have foreign rights contracts with a Turkish publisher. RaShelle is also one of the co-founders of Indie Recon LIVE, a self publishing conference that will debut October 10-11, 2014 in Sandy, Utah.

Mind
traveler Chandra Lamar is on the run, not only from her post-catastrophic
dystopian government but from a past she can’t remember. A psychic vision
pushes her to recall her purpose for being, but it’s a ghost that awakens her
desires for a life she fears she’ll never have. Both push her to remember the
past because it threatens what she wants in the now; the Nodin men.

Andonis
Nodin battles to accept his failures. The heavy burden nearly breaks him when
he can’t save a loved one from the grim reaper’s grip and questions his desire
for Chandra, the woman he blames for the death around him.

Nikias
finds true love with Chandra in his arms, but is desperate to stop her from
seeking revenge on a mission he knows is a one way trip.

Ortello
knows for them to recapture the love they once felt for each other, he must be
willing to let her go. But overcoming his obsession to make Chandra his and his
alone isn’t easy.

Will
Chandra go through with the vengeance in her heart or give it up for love? Who
is the powerful woman in her haunting visions and will those revealing
apparitions crumble her world with the Nodin clan? Does Chandra find true love
in the arms of the Nodin men or does her Phantom Desire forever own her heart?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

Chandra’s heart swelled with life. She teased back. “Are you blackmailing me into kissing you?”

“Never.” His clear gaze pierced hers with renewed life. “One would have to have something on you first and I don’t…yet. But if it works, I’ll work like hell to turn something up to hold against you.” He smiled suggestively. “Especially, if it means I’ll be able to get a kiss on command.”

It would be a long time before either one of them felt normal again, but this was a start to their healing. She leaned forward. An old, yet familiar feeling tingled at the center of her chest when he dropped an admiring gaze to her breasts before his stare made it back to her eyes.

“Shame on you, Nikias.” She leaned back, giving him an impish grin, forgetting for just a moment the sadness in her heart. “Taking advantage of a situation like this.”

“Me?” His playful expression was one of mocked shock. “I had the distinct feeling you were trying to seduce me.”

“I’m not the one sitting here half naked.” She glanced down at the telling sign of arousal in his workout shorts. She arched an accusing brow at him. “Looks like you’re a subscriber to the belief sex is a good way to help one find one’s way out of the black hole of grief.” She ran her tongue over her bottom lip with a suggestive sweep. With a hungry look in his eyes, his glance stalked the path her tongue took, leaving a wet trail for him to follow over her bottom lip. Nikias’ chest pumped in shallow takes, telling her she captured his interest.

“Hmmm, I hadn’t heard of the theory.” His sexy voice rumbled from his chest. His pupils dilated when she sucked her tongue back into her mouth. He met her stare with a knowing glint. “I’ll have to try it.”

Houston
Havens retired from a successful modeling career and an adventurous jet-set
lifestyle to set the world on fire with her erotic romance books. A tenacious
Irish lass, she strives to entertain with seductive stories created from her
decadent imagination and traces of a provocative lifestyle she may or may not
admit to.

Her interest
in the paranormal, fascination with quantum science, passion with myths, and
the lure of her mysterious Celtic Irish-Druid bloodlines are combined with
generally unknown truths, strange facts, and questionable fiction. Her novels
reflect a mix of the past, present, and future, with sexy blends of futuristic
science fiction, paranormal fantasy, western romance, and always love
everlasting. An author of six romances, a seven book erotic romance series and
numerous articles in literary magazines.

11.25.2014

Dear Rhireaders, I know... I know... the last thing your pocket books need going into the holidays is any temptation to be shopping for yourself. But at 99¢ per title this is one sale you do NOT want to miss out on. To help you guys decide where to spend your money I decided to link to my reviews for each of the ones I've read and reviewed.

I've actually purchased several of these already when they were first released too, these just happen to be the ones that I'd read and reviewed before this sale started. HIGHLY recommend buying Roxanne and Lisa's books as they are two of my favorite books. In fact... I'm off to buy some extra copies to gift to others because I love them so much! -- Rhi

...and shhhh don't tell anyone but I'm buying some of these for myself too. ☻

We are beyond thrilled to bring you the Release Day Launch for Laura Kaye's HARD TO COME BY! HARD TO COME BY is the third full length novel in Laura's Hard Ink Series, published by Avon Romance. As a special treat, through December 2, pre-order Hard to Come By or purchase it during release week, and receive exclusive bonus content! Just fill out the quick form here!

Marz was playing with fire. He damn well knew he was. But that didn’t make him want to pull away.

He just wanted more of the heat.

Marz nuzzled the side of Emilie’s face with his nose, his lips. She turned her face toward him and offered her lips. He couldn’t refuse.

Capturing her mouth on a tortured groan, Marz poured every ounce of his longing and confusion and desire into the kiss. They grasped at each other and Emilie turned in his arms. He pinned her against the railing and planted his hands in her hair. She opened to him and accepted his tongue, sucking him in until Marz’s blood ran hot and his hard-on ached. He ground himself against her and devoured every little moan and whimper and gasp she spilled.

Trailing kisses from her mouth to her jaw to her ear, Marz dragged a hand down her body and grasped her breast in his palm. She cried out and her head dropped back, drawing his mouth to her neck, where he licked and sucked and nipped as he kneaded her soft flesh. “You are so damn sexy.”

Her hand flew to his hair and grasped the back of his head. “Touch me,” she said. “Don’t stop touching me.”

Marz pulled away long enough to do a three-sixty scan. The lighthouse cast a dark shadow over them, and the pier was otherwise empty. His heart raced and his pulse hammered. He dove back in, trailing kisses down her neck to her collarbone, which he traced with his tongue. Her nails scratched deliciously at his scalp and her grip urged him down.

Through the thin material of her blouse and bra, he mouthed and flicked at her nipple. He shifted the deep vee of the neckline to reveal a lacy royal blue bra. He tongued her through the lace until she was panting and moaning and writhing against the railing.

“Oh, my God,” she rasped as he shifted her shirt and moved to her other breast. This time, he tugged the lace down to bare the deep pink of her nipple. She tasted and smelled like something fruity and sweet, and it made Marz hunger for more. “Derek,” she gasped. “Yes, yes, yes.”

Her palm cupped and squeezed the bulge of his erection through his jeans. His hips jerked into the touch, craving more of her, all of her. He groaned and it seemed to egg her on, because she pressed and rubbed her hand against his trapped cock until he was panting and imagining taking her down to the ground.

“Jesus, Emilie, you’re driving me fucking crazy,” he said as he worked kisses back up her body to her mouth.

“I know just what you mean,” she said. Her molten hot gaze met his. Eyes hooded, lips shiny and swollen, cheeks flushed, she was a freaking goddess standing under the moonlit sky. He felt the force of her beauty every bit as much in his chest as in his cock.

“You sure about that, babe?” he asked as he took her mouth in a deep, wet kiss. “Because my imagination has me stripping you of those fuck-hot jeans.”

“Yeah?” She rubbed his cock in a long stroke with the heel of her hand. “Mine has us getting a room at the hotel back there. So I’m sure,” she said with a smile.

Marz’s heart hammered against his breastbone and his cock jerked, clearly liking her idea, too. Except, if he took her up on it, he was going to end up buried inside her for as long as she’d have him. And so long as this clusterfuck of a situation defined their relationship, he couldn’t take things that far. Could he?

About HARD TO COME BY:

Caught between desire and loyalty…

Derek DiMarzio would do anything for the members of his disgraced Special Forces team—sacrifice his body, help a former teammate with a covert operation to restore their honor, and even go behind enemy lines. He just never expected to want the beautiful woman he found there.

When a sexy stranger asks questions about her brother, Emilie Garza is torn between loyalty to the brother she once idolized and fear of the war-changed man he's become. Derek’s easy smile and quiet strength tempt Emilie to open up, igniting the desire between them and leading Derek to crave a woman he shouldn’t trust.

As the team’s investigation reveals how powerful their enemies are, Derek and Emilie must prove where their loyalties lie before hearts are broken and lives are lost. Because love is too hard to come by to let slip away…

And don’t miss the other Hard Ink books, now available:

"Rough sex and explosive fights power Kaye's third Hard Ink novel, a thrilling adventure that feels more like an action movie with a romantic subplot than a typical contemporary romance. New readers will head straight for Kaye's backlist after powering through this installment." ~Publishers Weekly Starred Review

"TOP PICK! If you're looking for danger, gritty action, and sizzling passion, then Kaye has just the book and the series for you." ~RT Book Reviews Magazine

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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